Move over coconut water: Is maple water the next big health drink?

Thursday, April 10, 2014 by: Antonia
Tags: coconut water, maple water, polyphenols

(NaturalNews) The health benefits of coconut water have been embraced by many people, from serious athletes and nutritionists to fitness center owners and everyday consumers. It's for good reason too: Coconut water is not only fat-free, low in calories and void of added sugars, but its potassium content (15 times as much as the common sports drink by the way) makes it an ideal way for the body to obtain electrolytes. But, is it time to make way for the new kid on the healthy hydration block... maple water?

Yes, indeed, maple water.

The flavor and health benefits of maple water

Maple water is new to the Canadian market and soon to be available in the U.S. In fact, one brand called Vertical Water is expected to make its U.S. debut in April 2014. That particular brand is the result of successful studies and favorable reaction taken on by Cornell University researchers and Lake Placid forestry experts who have been experimenting with tapping black walnut and butternut trees for approximately two years.

It's made from maple sap and of course sterilized before it makes its way to stores. While the word "sap" conjures up a super-rich, ultra-sweet maple syrup flavor, it's said that the flavor is significantly more subtle due to the fact that the maple syrup that most people know of is concentrated sap, which this is not. In fact, one maple water company, Oviva, explains their product as having a "slightly sweet and velvety" taste.

As for health benefits, a Canadian website for the brand SEVA says, "Research has found that maple sap contains 46 essential nutrients[. T]his range of vitamins, minerals, amino and organic acids, prebiotics and polyphenols... make maple water ideal for quenching your body's thirst." Polyphenols, for example, are a type of antioxidant that is essential in helping the body rid itself of damaging free radicals. Paul Rouillard, deputy director of the Quebec Federation of Maple Syrup Producers says of maple water that "In antioxidants it is better than tomatoes."

How successful will water maple be? Its flavor and reported health benefits sound intriguing; however, it's obviously too soon to make decisions. After all, even though Andrea Giancoli, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, acknowledges coconut water's benefits, she says it's not the only way to become or remain healthy. "There's plenty of potassium in food and if you eat a healthy diet, you'll get all you need," Giancoli says. True, but the fact that coconut water sales doubled in 2011 and, even today, is considered one of the fastest growing beverage categories in the U.S. and the U.K. speaks volumes.

Stay tuned.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://www.npr.org

http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com

http://www.eauderableseva.com

http://oviva.ca

http://www.huffingtonpost.com

http://www.news.cornell.edu

http://science.naturalnews.com

About the author:
A science enthusiast with a keen interest in health nutrition, Antonia has been intensely researching various dieting routines for several years now, weighing their highs and their lows, to bring readers the most interesting info and news in the field. While she is very excited about a high raw diet, she likes to keep a fair and balanced approach towards non-raw methods of food preparation as well. >>> Click here to see more by Antonia